The One Legged Man

Vivek cursed himself for the hundredth time. Why had he decided to take the shortcut. Now he was in big trouble. His car had broken down in the middle of nowhere, it was getting dark and there was not a soul in sight. Adding to his irritability was that he was stuck right next to the graveyard. Though not by nature a superstitious man, he wished his car had chosen a better spot to break down.

"Babuji". The sound, over his left shoulder startled him. He turned around. It was a villager , with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, using a lathi for support. The villager had a lantern with him.Vivek sent a silent prayer of thanks.

"My car broke down. I must get some transportation immediately. Its urgent".

"There is a dhaba two miles from here. I can show you the way. Iam going that way myself".

As they walked, Vivek noticed a hollow sound. He looked closely at his new found companion and found the answer. The man had a wooden leg. Vivek hadnt noticed it before. Perhaps it was because of the darkness. Vivek lost sense of time as they walked. The tip-tap of the wooden leg was dulling his senses.He looked at the man closely. He seemed all at peace with himself, not in the mood for idle chit chat. The silence however, was weighing down on Vivek.

"What were you doing at that lonely spot", Vivek suddenly asked. The man stopped and looked at him. A curious stare.

"I was waiting for my wife. She didnt come. Perhaps tomorrow...".He sighed wistfully. "The doctors say it will be any time now".

A chill slowly crawled up Vivek's spine. It all seemed so unnatural. He was following this stranger, unable to see more than a couple of feet ahead. For the second time that day, he prayed to God.

"Babuji , whats the hurry? Why do you keep looking at your watch?". The sudden shattering of the silence startled him.

"I have a meeting tomorrow. I think I will be late." Vivek dared not look at the stranger as he answered.

The stranger shook his head wistfully."Today's people. Always in a hurry. Babuji, think of time in terms of years, not in days. You will be more at peace with yourself". And the stranger bared his teeth in a smile. To Vivek's heightened senses , there was something distinctly menancing.

Suddenly the stranger stopped. Pointing ahead, he said, "Babuji, there is the dhaba I was telling you about.You will get a bus from there." Vivek looked in the pointed direction . There were lights some twenty meters ahead. He hadnt noticed them before. Too busy worrying about his situation.
He turned to thank the stranger. But the man had vanished. Almost into thin air.

He ran towards the lights, stumbling. He rushed into the dhaba. There were quite a few customers. Two trucks parked nearby. Everyone stared at him as he rushed in.

"Relax saab", said the dhaba owner, "you look like you have seen a ghost".

"I think I did", Vivek stammered." There was this man with a wooden leg, I met at the graveyard".

The dhaba owner laughed uproariously."You must have met Salim langda. Ever since he had his leg amputated he likes to fool people. You are the third this month..."

The Bus Journey

Tushar hurried in the rain to catch the bus. He was muttering curses under his breath. It was imperative that he catch the bus, and it looked very likely at the moment that he would miss it. There were no autos or taxis to be seen anywhere. He had forgotten to bring his raincoat or umbrella which was why he was now wet to the bone, splashing through the knee deep water carrying his bag in his arms. At last , after what seemed like an eternity, he reached the bus stand. Thank God, his bus was still there.

Tushar climbed on to the bus, avoiding the angry stares of his fellow passengers, all looking at the person who had delayed all of them. 25 , 25 he muttered and found his seat. The aisle seat on the driver's side, third row from the back , the only empty seat in the whole bus. No sooner had he settled into his seat than the bus started.

Tushar hated onboard movies which was why he had opted for this bus, which never showed any. He also preferred the window seat , so he could stare outside. Unfortunately on this trip he had to make do with the aisle seat. He turned his head sideways , wanting to get a look at his neighbour. She was staring out of the bus - he could only see her silky smooth hair. Dressed in jeans and Tees. Tushar had never been the kind of guy who waits for the other person to start a conversation. Accordingly , he bent forward and said, "Hi, Iam Tushar".

She turned her head. Her face looked lovely - oval face with a dark complexion , perfectly sculpted , full lips and somehow hauntingly familiar. Her eyes were what struck him the most - deer's eyes. "Hello, Iam Priya", she replied, smiling in return. Thus encouraged, Tushar plunged recklessly ahead.

Priya was going to her hometown, she explained. A guy was coming over to see her. She had never even seen him, nor bothered to check out his picture that her parents had sent her.

"Why?", Tushar asked, surprised.

"Iam in love with another guy and am going to marry him. Why should I be bothered about a guy whom I have never met , who is coming to my place tomorrow to see me, whom Iam never going to marry anyway", Priya shot back, her face proudly defiant , her eyes sparkling.

Tushar felt as if a jolt of electricity had passed through him. For he remembered now why Priya's face had seemed so familiar. Hers had been among one of the photos his parents had sent to him, the girl he was going to meet tomorrow. Indecision gripped Tushar's heart. Should he tell Priya that he was the guy supposed to meet her tomorrow? How would she react then? 'No, better to keep quiet', Tushar thought. Still he felt a strange feeling of loss, for in that brief interval, he had come to like this lovely , smart girl.

Priya's phone rang. "My boyfriend", Priya said shyly. She turned her head and soon they were exchanging sweet nothings over the phone. The sound smote Tushar's heart. He tried hard not to listen and curled up to try and get some sleep. He woke up suddenly in the night. Something had woken him up. He looked around. The sight and sound of Priya sobbing shocked him. He was too embarassed to ask her. He would talk to her in the morning , he promised himself and went back to sleep.

When he woke up the sun was already high in the sky. He had overslept. He turned to Priya's seat and was disconcerted to see she was no longer there. Her stop had come and gone. He felt at a loss for words. Would he ever know why she had been crying? There was only one thing for him to do , the only decent thing. He could not go ahead with the proposal with a girl who so clearly loved another. He would tell his parents he was not interested in that girl , and then hopefully, Priya would have the life she dreamed about.

His parents reaction was typical and expected. They could not understand why Tushar was pulling out from the proposal at this late stage, when he had been so enthusiastic all along. But Tushar was adamant, and they had to give way. His father called up Priya's house and explained how they would not proceed with the proposal. Something to do with horoscope matching , Tushar's father mumbled over the phone. The rest of the day passed really slowly. His parents did not speak to him once. Tushar himself was happy that he had done the right thing by Priya, that she could now get married to the person she loved. As for his parents, time would soon bring them back to their normal selves.

He woke up early the next day , waited for his mother to bring him his cup of tea in bed , as she always did. She came and he was shocked to see her eyes were red. She had obviously been crying. She couldn’t look him in the eye, just flung the newspaper in his general direction. The news item was on the third page. A small three inch column. 'Jilted girl commits suicide' , went the headline. His eyes blurred as he read the news. Priya was dead. What had happened? He would never know. "I did the right thing", he wanted to scream , but he knew, in the eyes of his parents, Priya's parents , he would always be the person who had sent their daughter to her death.

The Interpretation of Dreams

Subhash woke up. He hadnt had a good night's sleep. He had been dreaming about Shwetha the whole night. No reason really. He hadnt gone to sleep thinking about her. Infact , he rarely thought about her now - it had been like this since that day one month back he had decided that the two of them were meant to go their separate ways.

His mind wandered back one year. His second day in office. He had seen this vision in a black salwar kameez, with the face of an angel. He had never believed in love at first sight , but then and there she had become his first ever crush. It had taken him one month just to summon his courage and speak to her face to face. And from that day on , they had been the best of friends.

Shwetha was already married and Subhash himself was committed. Perhaps that was the reason he never unburdened his heart's deepest secret to her. He didnt know. He knew he loved the girl he was engaged to , but he treasured his crush for Shwetha - a feeling not likely to be reciprocated because Shwetha probably was unaware of this secret. And so he had decided, never to reveal to her his true feelings for her. He had argued with himself for days , but what clinched it was that in his heart he knew there was no future for any such relationship. And there was no point in ruining a perfectly good friendship by trying for something that was never to be.

And now he was resigning and leaving for a land far away. It was unlikely that they would meet ever again. His mind had fluttered at that point , wondering if he should not tell her the truth before they parted. In the end he had decided that it was best that all this remained buried in the recesses of his heart. Which was why it was so strange that he should have had this dream today.

He had dreamed that Shwetha had come to his place yesterday. He had been alone there. They had got talking and accidentally their fingers had touched. The feeling was electric. He could have sworn that she blushed. An then one thing led to another and before long they found themselves in each other's arms. At this point he had woken up. Subhash was disturbed by the dream. He didnt know what to make of it. Did it mean that Shwetha actually reciprocated his feelings - or was it just his own mind playing on his feelings, leading him to believe what he wanted to believe.

He sat in bed for half an hour , trying to analyse the dream. Try as he might he could not make sense of the dream.Frustrated , he got up , dressed and went to office. Wonder of wonders - the first person he saw was Shwetha. She started as soon as she saw him. She came upto him and whispered, blushing , "What happened last night should never have happened. Please, never mention this to anyone".

A Series of Events

Madhavan was now at the head of the checkout queue in the supermarket. He fidgeted, praying the checkout clerk would not get suspicious. His plans were set. He had already rented a room in the nearby hotel. Go back there, have a heavy dinner and then the sleeping pills mixed with the vodka should do the trick. Pity that he, the local bank manager, would need to end his life this way. But there was no other way. He had only one regret - he would not be able to help that young lady, now what was her name, yes Priya. She really needed the loan for her husband's treatment. He had decided to sanction it, but with him gone now, there was no chance she would get it in time. Oh well, everyone had their own problems. His own was he had used the bank's money to dabble in shares. The auditor was coming for a surprise check tomorrow and there was no way he could escape detection.

He laid down the two bottles of sleeping pills on the counter. The clerk looked startled and asked, with a smile,"Not planning a suicide, are we?". Madhavan laughed, real loud. The laughter sounded fake even to his own ears.

****************

Gopal looked up, startled. The man standing in front of him in the queue had suddenly laughed.What an insane laugh it was too. Sent a chill crawling up his spine. Looked a respectable gent.Oh Well , he had enough problems of his own, without enquiring into why others would laugh out loud suddenly.

But at last , it looked like his own problems were coming to an end. He had lent a considerable amount of money to his old classmate , Priya. She had urgently needed it for her husband Suresh's treatment. The only problem was , the money had not been his in the first place. It belonged to the local goonda Mahesh. And now Mahesh wanted the money back. It had really looked curtains for Gopal , because he knew there was no way Priya could somehow get him the money. And God knew, he couldnt raise any himself. And just when things had started looking really dark for him , he had got the call from Priya. She had succeeded in getting the loan from the bank. Gopal had sent a silent prayer of thanks to the unknown benefactor, the bank manager.

"Julie...I love you"...His mobile was ringing. Gopal let it ring for sometime so he could listen to his favourite tune.

*****************

"Julie...I love you". Ajit was startled. The mobile phone of the man standing ahead of him in the queue was ringing. Set so loud too. Ajit screwed his nose in disgust. Why wouldnt the guy pick up the phone. Ajit's nerves were all jangled. They usually were just before a job. This wasnt usually how he started out. But he had had to come to the supermarket because he had forgotten his gloves. And he was nothing if not thorough.

Ajit quickly paid for the gloves and hurried out of the supermarket. As he turned the corner , he bumped into a lady. His right hand automatically went towards the gun hidden in his inner jacket pocket. He looked up. She had a pretty face. He calmed down. "Excuse me madam", Ajit asked, "can you tell me which way is the bank?"

*****************

Priya was humming a song as she walked home. There was a spring to her step which had not been there for some weeks now. The bank manager, Madhavan, had saved her. She would now be able to repay her dear friend Gopal. At last it looked like all her problems were solved.

As she turned the corner, someone bumped into her. She staggered back, her breath knocked out. She looked up. The man who had bumped into her was looking at her. He had a furtive look. "Excuse me madam", he asked her, "can you tell me which way is the bank?". "Take the next left , the bank is the second building on the right", Priya told him. As he hurried along , Priya called after him ,"But it will be closed now." She could have sworn his mouth opened in a grim smile. She suddenly felt chilly. Priya looked around. There was no one nearby. It was getting late. Priya hurried towards home, where Suresh was waiting for her. She smiled as she thought of how he would react when he heard the good news.

*****************

Madhavan reached his hotel room, after a long walk.He had wanted to work up an appetite for his last meal. The chicken biriyani he had ordered on the way up smelt delicious. He quickly gobbled it up. "And now for dessert", he smiled to himself. He emptied both bottles of sleeping pills into the bottle of vodka, mixed himself a drink. He switched on the TV. No point in dying an uninformed man. The local TV channel was on. There was a "Breaking News" banner on the screen. He turned on the volume. The announcer was breathlessly blurting out the news,"There has been a burglary at the local bank. The whole bank building has been gutted by a fire believed by the police to have been started by the burglar to destroy any clues." Madhavan watched fascinated as the camera veered to the smouldering remains of the bank. His bank. But but, he realized if the bank had been destroyed it means, the money would be gone too. All of it. So how could the auditor tell if any money had been missing before the robbery.He was saved. The glass of vodka remained in his hand, untasted.

"Thank you God," Madhavan prayed fervently, tears of joy streaming down his face."This was the only chance I needed. I will never do anything wrong again"

A New Hope

Sriram looked up at the ceiling for the nth time. The noisy fan was whirring overhead. It was his fifth day at the hospital. He had been admitted there after being diagonised with cancer. How slowly the days had seemed to pass.He remembered the day he was admitted like it had happened just an hour back. "You are too young to die", the beaming nurse had said in a reassuring voice. She had a calm ,competent manner, with a lovely face to boot. "I have nothing left to live for", he had almost corrected her.

The same nurse (he had found out her name was Chitra) used to come in every morning around 11, giving him his morning round of medicines. And Chitra always used to drop into his room in the evenings, right before her shift ended. She always had a smile on her lips.And a lively manner. He never could make out how fast the time flew when she was with him. In another life, another time, he might almost have fallen in love with her.Almost , but not quite , he thought bitterly. The sound of the rain falling gently outside lulled him to sleep.

When Sriram woke up the next morning, the sun was already out. And smiling at him from the window ledge was a flower, which had not been there the previous night. He looked closely. There was some soil on the window ledge, and there the lone flower had sprouted, looking like a palm tree in the desert. Glistening with the water from the rain , swaying against the wind, raising its little head up to the Sun, the flower seemed to Sriram to be a beacon of hope. For the first time in days, he looked forward to the rest of the day.

Chitra came and was surprised to see Sriram in a jovial mood. He was sharing jokes, smiling away like one without a care in the world. And she was glad, for she had come to love this morose looking young man. She loved him more now that he had obviously decided not to give up without a fight. With each passing day, Sriram regained his strength, waiting eagerly for when Chitra would come again.

Days passed. And then one day , when Sriram woke up, the sight that greeted his stunned eyes chilled his marrow. For, the flower was no longer there. The whole window ledge was squeaky clean. Like a door shutting out the light, he felt all hope , all prayers , draining out of him. Like the drowning man clutching at the straw only to find it no longer there, he waited like the condemned man for the door to open and bring him his death.

The door opened. Chitra was there holding a paper in her hand. He looked at her, without speaking. He nodded dumbly, towards the window ledge. She saw the flower gone, came over and squeezed his hand."Sriram", she said, "We just found out. The cancer you have got is completely benign. Its curable. Some mixup with the lab results", she continued , but he was too dizzy to hear. There was a roaring sound in his ears.

He felt elated, on top of the world. It seemed almost as if the flower had sacrificed itself, so he might live. It was absurd , of course, but what was logic or reason to a dying man who had just been given a fresh lease of life. Like a mad man, willing to risk his all on one throw of dice ,Sriram grabbed both hands of Chitra in his own. "Will you be mine?" , he asked her. Chitra was silent, but the twinkle in her eyes gave him the answer he wanted to hear.

A Story Without A Title

It was so dark, Chandran couldnt see anything. He felt suffocated, short of breath. "This too shall pass", he told himself determinedly, gritting his teeth. This saying usually used to comfort him, but not this time. He still felt uneasy, butterflies in his stomach. He had heard that thinking pleasant thoughts relaxed the body and mind. Might as well give it a shot. He had nothing to lose anyway.

He thought of Chandni, in the village they had grown up together. He could see in his mind's eye the bubbly twelve year old , running out to meet him, holding his hands and leading him into the house. They had always been made for each other. She was always the little one, looking upto him in wonder. He would always be doting on her every word. They had been what the elderly people in the village called the Ideal Couple.

They had grown up, she into a lovely young lady, he into a handsome young man. The love they shared had only grown stronger. They really made a most attractive couple. And they were to get married next month. Alas, it was not going to be. "The best laid plans of mice and men" sprang to his mind. He had always been good at quoting others.

He had loved her so much he would do almost anything for her. And he had. Oh why had he ever done what he did. The lure of quick money could be his only excuse.

He could almost see Chandni now, alone in their house ,waiting for the call that would never come...

"Ready Chandran?", asked the jailer.

"Ready Sir", Chandran replied.

At the jailer's nod, the hangman pressed the lever. Chandran's body plunged down into the dark , empty space below.

"He is dead alright", said the jail doctor, examining the body after the mandatory 10 minute wait.

Till Death Do Us Part

Sanjeev looked at Sandhya and smiled. Her eyes held that look of infinite tenderness. His hands caressed her, gently sliding through her tresses. "Till Death Do Us Part", he murmured gently into her ear. She smiled her agreement.Then and there Sanjeev decided that come what may, Sandhya would become his.

****************

Sanjeev breathed a silent prayer. His mind was made up. But he would need the last ounce of his courage to do what he had decided must be done. He saw Shyam coming out of the office. That sight helped him expel the last doubts from his mind. His fingers clutched the knife he held in his right hand more tightly. He advanced towards Shyam.

****************

Sandhya looked down at the dead body of Shyam. Her husband. She looked up at Sanjeev. His eyes had a hint of guilt.She understood. Nothing had prepared Sanjeev for what happened next. He recoiled from the sight of the hate and terror pouring out of her eyes. In that instant he realized he had lost for ever the one woman he had ever loved. How tragic that it was Shyam's death that had parted them.

*****************

The courtroom was silent. The Counsel for the Prosecution and Defence had concluded their arguments. The crowd was awaiting the judgement. Judge Sandhya pronounced : "The prosecution has been unable to prove the charges against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt.I therefore declare the defendant acquitted and order him freed with immediate effect".The courtroom erupted.

******************

They were at Sandhya's house. She had poured him a drink of Vodka and Orange Juice , his favourite. The orange juice was sour, it had made the drink bitter. He wrinkled his lips in distaste. But at last it was all over. Sandhya still loved him. It was getting late. He could hear Sandhya as he fought the drowsiness , "Luckily , no one knew about our relationship. Otherwise I could never have tried your case. I loved you , you know. But I loved my Shyam too. Thats why I decided you will be mine. I would never give you up to the police. No, you will die by my hand, killed by the poison I have mixed in your drink".

April Fool !!!

At last , April 1st had arrived. Another April Fool's Day , only today it was not he who was going to be fooled, Ashish thought. The day held bitter memories for him. It was exactly one year before that Remya had told him she was going to marry someone else. The pressure from her parents had been too much, she said. At first he had thought it was a prank, she was making a fool out of him. Her earnest face soon convinced him otherwise.

And so they had decided to part. They had not seen each other since, not once talked over the phone. In two months she was married, her husband a doctor at the same hospital she worked.

His mind went over the happenings earlier in the day as he waited for Remya. Ashish had called the hospital and asked for Dr Remya. He had wrapped a kerchief around the phone to disguise his voice. When Remya came over the phone, he gave the address he was at and told her that a person had suffered a heart attack and no one there knew how to handle it. "And please hurry", he had added in a screeching voice, for good measure.

Nothing to do but wait now, Aashish thought. How would Remya react , he wondered, when she saw him after all this time. He could now hear the loud siren of the ambulance as it slowly threaded its way up the busy road. He smiled.

The ambulance stopped. Dr Remya and the attendants rushed out. Quite odd , Dr Remya thought. For a place where someone was dying,surrounded by a crowd presumably, this place is pretty quiet. The loud report of the gun took them by surprise. Remya rushed to the room from which the noise had come. She pushed open the door and rushed in. The sight that greeted her was like something from a movie. Ashish was lying on the ground, a bullet hole on his forehead, the pool of blood slowly expanding under his head.

Her hand automatically felt for the pulse. There was none.He had a tissue paper clutched in his hand. Shocked, still in a trance , Remya removed the paper and opened it. It had two words - 'April Fool'.

The Crush

Raghu looked at the bus. The driver had not yet climbed in. Still some more time before he bid goodbye to this city - he had spent the last one year of his life here . And what had he got in exchange? Some wonderful memories, that he could treasure for a lifetime. Might it have been different if he had shown some more courage? His mind wandered back to the beginning.

It was his first day in office. He was just getting accustomed to the newness of it all, when he had seen her. He had been struck dumb by her loveliness. She was not extraordinarily beautiful - but something about her face seemed to touch a chord in his heart. Was this what they called love at first sight?

Her name was Chandni. She sat in the next cubicle. The next two weeks were like heaven on earth. He used to catch her eye often, his mouth open in wonder when she laughed at something. She had noticed him staring at her several times - smiled sometimes as if in invitation to go and talk to her. But he had never quite mustered the courage. Raghu had never felt like this with any girl before. When Chandni appeared he got tongue tied, a sort of dim witted fool.

One month after he had joined, someone had told him the news. It was the office gossip. Chandni was married. It should have broken his heart. But strangely enough , it didnt. In fact , it didnt cool his ardour one bit. He still felt the same pure love for her. Everyday, he would search for her face as he entered office. All the while, in his heart of hearts he knew that there was only heartbreak in store for him.

And that was why he had finally decided to leave. For a strange land. Bidding goodbyes to the friends he had made and a silent farewell to the beloved who didnt know she had a lover.

Honk! Honk! The sound of the horn snapped Raghu out of his reverie. The driver was in his seat and had started the engine. The passengers were slowly getting on to the bus. Raghu took out his mobile and searched for Chandni's name in his phone book.He had her number - just never called her. Somehow, it had never seemed right. After all, she had never given him the number. But surely, this moment was different. Shouldnt he at least call her and say goodbye. He would have given his life at that moment to know if she cared. The moment passed. The decision had been made and now he had to stick to it.

It was better it ended this way.

"Sir, Are you waiting for someone"? , asked the conductor. "No, no one is coming", said Raghu as he got on to the bus.

Sheila's Diary - An Extract

Nov 1: Dear Diary, Guess what? I have decided to start keeping an entry of my day to day happenings. This was suggested by Dr Prasad at the hospital. He suggested it since off late I have been having problems with memory loss, nausea , giddiness etc. This was the reason I went to see Dr Prasad in the first place. Such a nice man. In fact he has referred me for an appointment with Dr Mathur for tomorrow. Seems Dr Mathur is a renowned expert in his field.

Nov 2: Went to see Dr Mathur. Such a change from that nice man Dr Prasad. The fellow seemed too curious - asking me about my close friends etc. Really if Dr Prasad had not insisted, I would stop seeing this jerk. But Dr Prasad has made me promise that I will stick to my appointments.

Nov 5: Really, how wrong can one be with first impressions. Behind Dr Mathur's rough exterior is a kind man who seems to really want to help me. I told him about my best friend, Sanjay. Really there was no stopping me once I started. I went Sanjay this and Sanjay that. Dr Mathur was wearing his little smile all the time. Little does he know.

Nov 8: Today was another day of talking to Dr Mathur about Sanjay. Dr Mathur wanted to meet him. I had to explain to him that Sanjay is a really shy person who does not mingle freely with others. Really a sweet chap once you get to know him, but an introvert.

Nov 10: Today I told Dr Mathur about the other person in my life, Sunil. Not a very nice man to know - really short tempered , freaks me out sometimes. But I dont need to be afraid- I know his little secret. I was almost laughing out loud today at the session. It was so funny - Dr Mathur was asking me so many mundane questions , and all the while I had this knowledge of Sunil's dirty little secret. Dont worry Sunil, your secret is safe with me - after all, what are friends for?

Nov 15: Oh my God. Sunil will be so angry with me if he finds out. Really it was all Dr Mathur's fault. He needled me saying I had never done anything important and then I couldnt stop myself from speaking about the murder I had seen Sunil commit. You should have seen the look on Dr Mathur's face. He wouldnt believe me till I showed him the newspaper report about the unsolved murder last week. Dr Mathur was very disturbed - he cut short the interview then , said he had to see someone urgently.

Nov 20: They took me away today. I was kicking and screaming , telling the inspector I wanted to see my friends Sanjay and Sunil, but he just laughed. At least they allowed me to keep this diary.You better watch out Mr Inspector. Once Sunil comes to know how you have treated me...

Dr Mathur finished reading out from the diary to his class and concluded, "Students,this was an unusual case of schizophernia - unusual because I have never seen such a recorded case where the female personality is in command and the alter egos are two male personalities."

Different Perspectives

Rahul swore softly under his breath. The swirling waters of the Ganga flowing down below seemed to be holding a sort of magnetic attraction for him. Pity it had to end this way. But there was no other option. He had tried his best. The past few weeks had been a torture - wearing a smiling face so none would suspect, all the while his heart tearing apart with grief. In a sense, it was almost a relief that it was going to end today. If he had the chance, would he have chosen differently. Irritably , he shook his head , almost as if to clear away all these useless thoughts.For all that
was beside the point now. He had laid his bed and must lie down on it. He truly had just one genuine regret. That he and Sandhya would never be together. He smiled bitterly. To think the one person for whose happiness, he would lay down his life was suffering because of him was what hurt him most. "Till Death Do Us Part" - how many times had he enacted that scene in his mind's eye, his right hand holding a blushing Sandhya. The time for parting had truly come - except could you call it a parting when they had never been joined in the first instance.

Rahul had left a letter in his father's jacket pocket. A simple note , really. No flowery speeches, just one word. Sorry. He had read somewhere that your life flashes before your eyes during the last few moments before you meet death.Was it true? Well , time to find out. Gritting his teeth tightly , he took the plunge. Strangely enough, there were no flashbacks, just one burning thought , "Sandhya, may you always be happy".

(Let us now scan the thoughts of those Rahul held to be his near and dear ones while he lived.)

Priya , the 8 year old neighbour: Why doesnt Rahul uncle come? And whats all that crying noise, coming from Rahul uncle's house. Why is vellyamma crying so loudly? Mother is also looking so serious. Let Rahul uncle come. He will explain everything , in his kindly tone. He is the only one who does not treat me like a young child, incapable of understanding anything.

Suchitra, Priya's mother: Such a Kind chap, always willing to help out. Really , such a tragedy. Was it something to do with that girl, now what was her name , Sandhya? One hears all sorts of rumours nowadays, musnt give ear to all that one hears. But if not Sandhya, why did the poor boy do this? Whats the time now? Oh nearly eight. Must go soon , otherwise hubby dear will be back from office and no dinner. Will someone notice if I slip out now?

Kishore, Rahul's childhood friend: Really what possessed him to do this. and not giving me a hint. True , he felt that way about Sandhya, but really this. And will his death solve any of Sandhya's problems. Would he have mentioned anything about the 3 lakhs he lent me to his parents? Should I give it to them? Let them ask first.

The Father: My son, why did you do this? If I had but one inkling that this was what you had in your mind when you said this morning "It will be alright, Father". I would have accepted Sandhya as my daughter-in-law and never mind what anyone said. Cursed indeed am I that I have to attend my own son's funeral.

Sandhya: Poor Rahul, suffering so much because of me. And wearing that brave face of his when is he with me , as if I cant make out his anguish. Fie on me that I can live, knowing my lover is suffering. Tomorrow, he will get the letter I posted today and he can start a new life. You will despair at first , my lover , but understand it is all for the best. Let me take this poison and die, that my lover may live.

Epilogue: Rahul's body washed ashore on the third day. "Moonam Pakkam", murmured the old fisherman.

A Hasty Decision

He saw her standing by the railing, her back turned to him. There was something familiar about the figure. Could it be? Yes , it was her. Swapna. The girl he, Rohit, had proposed to one week back. He went nearer. Her whole body seemed to be shaking. He was so near now he could almost touch her. Almost , but not quite. "Swapna", he called her softly. She didnt seem to hear. And then the memories came flooding back.

He remembered asking her out to Coffee Day the previous Monday.

"What for" she had asked, flashing that winsome smile at him.

"Theres something I need to tell you". Her eyes had clouded briefly at that - or was that just his imagination, his nervous heart playing tricks on his mind?

They reached Coffee Day. He gave the order , "One Cappucino and One Hot Chocolate". She smiled softly, maybe at the fact that he remembered her favourite drink. It had been after all nearly 3 months now since they had gone out together.

The order came. He just couldnt bring himself to speak.She broke the silence.

"What was it you wanted to tell me"?

He started. There was something he couldnt quite place in her tone of voice. Almost as if she knew what it was he was going to say. All the talk he had practised for weeks was forgotten.

"Will you marry me, Swapna? " , he asked.

There was that look again in her eyes. For the life of him he couldnt make out what it was. Pity, hopelessness, pride all mingled into one.

She got up pushing away her untasted cup of coffee.

"You know it cant be Rohit", she said and walked out of his life.

He had been heartbroken then, not knowing what to do with his life. He had run around like a mad man. That had been one week back. Strangely enough, one week hence, now that he was so near her , he didnt feel that despair. His mind was empty, devoid of all feelings, at peace with itself. He realized why her body was shaking. She was sobbing softly.

"Rohit, Rohit". He started. Could it be? Was she really uttering his name? He was about to grab her into his arms , when there was a call from behind, "Swapna , where are you? ". He turned. It was her father. Her father did not even look at him. Swapna hugged her father and broke into heart breaking sobs.

"There , there my dear", her father patted her head, "Dont blame yourself for what happened".

And then it all came back to him. The mad rush from Coffee Day, back to office and in that brief moment of madness, the plunge from the eighth floor window. And then , blessed darkness.